


Little Dove vs. Vulture

by theeternalblue



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Father-Daughter Relationship, Future Fic, Multi, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-12
Updated: 2017-11-20
Packaged: 2019-02-01 05:42:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12698529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theeternalblue/pseuds/theeternalblue
Summary: Not everyone has Archie's father. Veronica is quite aware of it. When she finds out about Hiram latest trick, she runs back to the only allies she knows.





	1. Welcome back to our (love) nest

Friday nights are always some starting point to something crazy and fun, but this one has become a slow one. He has a project to work on and the prospect of forgetting his goals aren’t really something he can afford – not mentioning he has _no money_ to afford anything much either.

A notepad is sitting next to him, while the guitar has found place on his lap – he’s hoping this time he’ll get more than an _okay_ from his music composition teacher. And he’s also worrying about Betty getting him a spot to play at the coffee shop she’s working at. He could use some extra cash at this point, even if he has everything covered for the rest of the month, but he’s hoping to get to visit his mom in Chicago and…

There’s a knock at the door.

Archie stands up, frowning, because he never heard the intercom so someone must’ve let the door open again, and he’s not in the mood to be dealing with anyone’s wrong order.

But lo and behold, behind door number one there’s not a lost person holding a bag with food. Just a seemingly lost petite raven-haired woman.

“Hi,” her voice greets meekly. When has she ever been meek? He can remember countless times in which she led him into whatever her beating heart wished. It wasn’t really hard to fall into her plans when those included activities for just the two of them and with little clothes.

His frown deepens. “Hi.” It’s not that he hates to see her. It’s just that they broke up almost a year and half ago and… let’s say they didn’t exactly stay friends. He knows Betty and Jughead speak to her from time to time – and he believes she still must be good friends with Kevin, Cheryl and Josie.

They stare at each other for what seems an extremely long time. It’s incredibly difficult to realize she is still as attractive as always – not just pretty or sexy, though he can check all those boxes in her description, but _magnetic_. She is well-aware of the power she can exert over him. One bat of her long lashes and he’s eating from her hand.

Archie can try to resist her, though. “What are you doing here?”

“May I come in?” She asks, fidgeting in her high-heels, toying with her handbag – he has never seen her this nervous, so he moves to the side and motions for her to enter his apartment. “I see you’ve kept the decorations simple. It looks nice.” She tries to make small talk, but he’s not about to fall for that.

“Veronica,” he calls just right after closing the door. He pads towards her, and even with her in heels and him barefoot, he could still hug her and tuck her head under his chin – like old times.

She twirls around and bites on her lip. “I think I’m in trouble, Archie.”

-x-

She doesn’t want to talk about it, and he thankfully doesn’t push the subject. He offers tea or coffee, because of some old belief that some hot liquid mends whatever got her this jittery. It cannot. That’s why she came to him. If there’s one person in the world she feels safe with, that is Archie Andrews. He’s the balm that can calm her soul.

A cup of tea is put in her hands, and he sits in front of her at the small table near the kitchen.

“Am I interrupting something?”

He smirks. “Really?” She ducks her head slowly, only to arch an eyebrow. “No one else but you and me in this apartment.”

She sips from her cup to hide her smile. Of course, she already knew through Betty that Archie wasn’t currently dating anyone, but he could’ve had a visitor – read that as a one-night-stand – because he’s handsome and sweet and single. It’s the twenty-first century and she’s not about to judge anyone for playing a game she has been fond of. She just cannot deny she has always been a little possessive of him.

“Ronnie.”

A tingling feeling travels up her spine. Not many people call her like that – but there’s a special way in which the  _r_ rolls of his tongue and his voice goes velvety. It’s pure nostalgia, but it's the best kind of nostalgia.

“I just need to hide for a little while.”

“A little while? A night or two? And from what?”

“I’ll be out of your hair as quick as I came. I just needed a first stop, to gather my thoughts and make a plan.” She knows that’s a lie. The kind of trouble she is in is not the type of which she can hide from until it disappears. “I’ll leave in the morning.”

“I’m not kicking you out, it’s just that… why would you come here instead of going to a hotel? My place is basically the size of the bathroom at your parents’ place.” And he’s not that wrong.

“Because of you.”

Archie shakes his head. She knows what’s going through his mind. They broke up because there was too much pressure on them. She was a socialite and he was a struggling musician. She was bound to be the CEO of a company and he would become another sad story. But all that is bullshit, they were stupid enough to believe what other people said.

Look at Betty and Jughead – the whole world was against them but now they are so happy together in their little place in Queens. Betty is set to be a great reporter and Jug has already working in a manuscript for his first book deal.

“I need a pause in a safe place. Please.”

He snorts a sad laugh. “This is unfair. You know I can’t say no to you.”

She smiles, leaning forward to press a lingering kiss to his cheek. “Not now anyway.” She sits back, and reaches for his cheek to wipe her lipstick off his skin. “Thank you.”

-x-

Her head hurts as if she had drunk too much alcohol, but she knows for fact she didn’t down a single drop the previous night. She slept too much and deeply last night. It’s almost the same feeling the bliss of post truly resting sleep from being hungover.

A knock on the door forces her to sit up, and she finally remembers where she is when she takes in her surroundings. She is wearing an oversized t-shirt, and sleeping in a simple but comfy bed with linen that is far from Egyptian cotton, but smells like sweet memories and teenage promises.

“May I?” Archie’s voice carries through door of the bedroom he chivalrously ceded to her as his guest.

She pushes her mussed hair behind her ears. “Come in!” Her head tilts to the side and she wants to simply stare at him and remember that not only is he nice, respectful and resourceful, he’s also terribly handsome. And more so in the morning in just jeans. God, this man! She should’ve taken him and kept him hidden from the world. All to herself. No sharing with anyone.

His smile is the most precious sight to greet her. Memory lane takes her to the first night the spent together, catching him trying to leave without being noticed the next morning, and grinning with unbridled happiness at the sight of her.

“Good morning.” She berates herself because her tone is flirty and she definitely didn’t show up here to seduce him. She would’ve picked a much better outfit if that was the case.

“Morning.” Archie steps a little further inside the bedroom. “I wasn’t sure about waking you up, but it’s ten and I made breakfast.”

“Oh. You didn’t have to.” She leaves the bed and tugs the shirt down to cover more of her body, but there’s really no need – nothing he hasn’t seen before.

“I made food for myself as well,” he quips, forcing her to roll her eyes. “But I might’ve put a little more effort than usual,” he admits coyly, and it’s freaking adorable that this twenty-year-old man can feel awkward.

“I’ll freshen up and join you.”

He chuckles, because they had already overcome this. The last part of their relationship was spent in this little apartment – she had stayed with him many nights, and they had woken up together to share lazy mornings, frolicking in bed like people in love do. She had burnt many toasts and ruined pots of coffee, and she’s not sure the smell of her culinary messes has completely left the place yet.

She pads to the kitchen, only to discover Archie has set the table. Veronica takes the empty place with a fresh cup of coffee already in front of her. The toasts are beautifully crispy golden.

Sitting quietly, Veronica glances at Archie from time to time. She dreads the moment he asks for more information, but she should know better than keeping secrets from him. Secrets have never worked between them.

“Ronnie, what’s going on?”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” she replies before taking a bite of her toasts with scrambled eggs, and then she sulks like a little girl throwing a tantrum.

“You say you’re in trouble and want me to let it go?” Archie’s getting angry. She shouldn’t be happy about it, but she likes to provoke that reaction – he still wants to protect her.

“I told you I’ll find somewhere else to stay. _Today_. You don’t have to worry.”

“Damn it, Ronnie,” he hisses, before running a hand through his hair. “Last time you kept something from me, I ended up alone in this apartment.” They broke up. It was entirely her fault – her father’s, if they were being honest. Hiram Lodge had found a way to pull her right back into family business and that meant leaving Archie, who didn’t understand why she tried to be in good graces with the man.

“Let’s say you were right,” she sighs, discarding her half-eaten toast. She has lost her appetite. “You were right about my father.”

Archie’s shoulders tense and his face fills with anger. “What happened?”

“Apparently he set things up to leave me with a subsidiary of Lodge Industries. Meaning I’m legally responsible of part of the business he’s using for embezzlement.” She swallows hard, because what kind of man does that to his own daughter? Her mother warned her and yet, she thought herself to be smarter than Hiram. “I’m about to get sued. I could go to jail, Archie.”

He says nothing, and wraps her in a tight embrace. She holds on to him because this is exactly why she came to him. Support. Trust. Hope. Veronica Lodge needs Archie Andrews.

-x-

From the beginning, he has compared his father to every other one. His has won before them all. He lucked out in that lottery and that’s that. He might have bad luck in the romance department and not have a lot of money, but his father is the best and that’s not something everyone can say.

“What’s the plan?” he asks her, because she must have one.

“I don’t know,” she replies with a frantic voice. “It’s hard to prove that I didn’t know anything, because the company is in my name and I signed documents. I didn’t know of course that my father was using everything to do his shady business as well.” She paces around the room, barefoot and in a gray cotton t-shirt. “No lawyer wants to go against him and I’m forbidden to put a foot in Lodge Industries again, so I cannot gather proof to make a case against him.” She stops and stands before him. “I’m sorry.”

He scowls. What's she apologizing for? “Sorry? For what? I believe you.”

“For being a mess and coming running back to you after what I did.”

He spent months trying to convince himself of not looking for her. Veronica is not easily forgotten. There’s something wild in her spirit that drives you crazy – it’s a high he had gotten addicted to. He hadn’t wanted to break up, but she put an end to things because they weren’t compatible anymore – they wanted different things out of life, and that’s a speech that came right out of Hiram’s mouth.

“You are not a mess.” He takes her hands in his and squeezes them. “You, Veronica Lodge, are one of the strongest people I know. You’ll get out of this and I’ll help you. I’ll just make a call to our favorite journalists and plan an impromtu highschool reunion, okay?”

Veronica smiles, and goes on tiptoes. Her hands cradle his face and her lips press against his in a quick kiss. “You’re precious, Archiekins.”


	2. Show Your Feathers

By the time he ventures outside the bedroom, Jughead sees Betty on the phone, talking and moving with what could be described as nervousness but also a tinge of anger – she’s upset either by what she’s hearing or with whom she’s talking to. For a moment, he fears the caller to be Alice Cooper, but he hears the name of Archie and his curiosity peaks.

Of course, first he needs something to wake him up properly. Lucky for him, Betty has already made a pot of coffee and a tower of pancakes. He never questions the love he has for her when the answers are in plain sight: she’s the best.

She ends the call and approaches the kitchen while her head is still processing whatever it is she heard.

“Why do I have a feeling we’ve been summoned by some greater power?” Jughead quips before taking a large bite from his pancakes.

Betty looks at him, her eyes bigger than usual, like whenever she’s about to dive in some investigation. It’s her thirst for blood, if he could put a name on it. A need for the truth, he also possesses but doesn’t show.

“Because we have. Veronica is in trouble.”

He frowns. He was sure he had heard Archie’s name and that doesn’t make sense. Those two broke up a while ago. He would know if his best friend had gotten back together with the woman he kept pining for. “Who were you talking to?”

Betty hesitates, biting her lip and avoiding eye contact. “Archie. He called us to help her.”

“Archie?”

“She’s at his place.”

Jughead leans back on his chair and stares at his long-time girlfriend. “Seriously? Are we getting back into that mess? I love them both, but you know how messy things become with them whenever they are playing will-we-won’t-we.”

“Juggie,” she pleads and sits next to him at the table. “You know how much I dislike that. But V is in trouble. Big trouble. From what Archie told me, Veronica could go to jail.”

He scowls. “What? What could she do to get herself into that kind of problem?”

“It’s not what she did, but what her father did to her. She’s being accused of embezzlement because he played her.” Betty reaches for his hand and cradles it in hers. He already knows he will be on board on whatever crazy plan Archie and Betty come up with, because he has many qualities and he’s a loner, except when it comes to those two. And Veronica… well, she is like a little sister to him. A wealthy and sarcastic little sister, but still.

“Fine, but let’s be clear that this kind of thinking will need a lot of food as fuel.”

Betty chuckles. “I’m aware of it.” She leans forward and presses a tender kiss to his lips. She’s sweeter than any syrup he could bathe his pancakes with. “Thank you.”

“No need to thank me. I’m a sucker for trouble, so count me in.”

-x-

She’s just going to admit it because it is strange to see Veronica answering the door. Not a bad kind of strange, it’s just that Betty feels like being in high school all over again – Veronica was an excellent partner when things got a little dangerous. She likes the way Veronica just goes ahead with her plans, fearless and a little viciously, always unapologetically.

So, if they hug? They mean it. They complement each other.

“V, are you okay?” Betty asks as they still hold each other – Juggie has already departed to the kitchen since he was carrying enough food to feed the headquarters of a presidential campaign.

“Better now that I know I have the best investigator on my side, Betty.” Veronica grins at her.

“Yeah, that must be it. Not the fact you’re slumming it with your old flame.”

It’s Archie the one who smacks Jug’s arm to reprimand him. But Betty must admit there must be some truth behind those words. There’s a reason why in danger, Veronica ran to Archie in the first place. She’s not about to judge, because there was a time Jughead and she were playing the game like pros – too good, too little, too scared… they tried many reasons why to be apart, until only one remained. They were in love, no way to deny it, so they tried to be together, no excuses. And they’ve done pretty okay so far.

Veronica and Archie? Well, they had a different start. Hormones made an explosive mix with them. Archie didn’t want to fall in love after his affair with an older woman and the aftermath. Veronica didn’t want to recognize she had fallen for a small-town boy. Both kept feelings aside until it all exploded in their faces. They didn’t know how to deal with it. And see what time did here? Together again.

A chuckling Veronica approaches Jughead. “I missed you, too.” The two share a look before smiling.

Archie snorts a laugh.

“You’re trouble, but it’s fun trouble.” Jughead’s hand dives into a bag and grabs a bagel. After taking a bite, he looks around. “So, where do we start?”

“From the beginning.” Archie grabs his phone and hands it to Jughead. “It’s already on the news. Apparently, Ronnie is following her father’s steps according to the press. They haven’t even bothered to make a decent profile of her.” He’s angry and it shows by the way his jaw clenches and his shoulders tense up.

“They won’t care about that,” Betty takes the phone and only reads the headline. She’s sure the journalist has only compared Veronica to Hiram, making a point of how this type of crime runs in the family. “We must try to gather information. Ideally, we need a contact from the inside. Is there anyone you can trust in Lodge Industries?”

Veronica shakes her head. “The people who worked close to me were fired. And if things go according to my father, they’re probably under some sort of threat. Actually, I had to ask Josie to get a few things from my place, because I’m pretty sure I was followed there.”

Archie scowls. Well, it seems he didn’t know the last bit of information.

“Do your parents know you’re here?” Jughead asks.

“I don’t think so. At least my mother doesn’t. She left me a message last night, but I turned off my phone before I got here, so I have no idea.”

“Good. That’s good.” Betty knows how easily someone with the right skills could track Veronica by the GPS – and Hiram must know people like that. “So, you’re staying here?” She looks at Archie, even if the question was for Veronica.

“She’s staying with me, as long as it’s needed.” Archie is turning into his vigilante persona, and that cannot be good. Veronica senses it, so she places a comforting hand on his shoulder.

“I’ll try to keep a low profile. I don’t want this to be made worse by the press. Staying here seems like the best option.”

There’s a knock on the front door, and both Archie and Jughead tense up. Veronica huffs and moves past the both of them.

“Ronnie–“ Archie warns, but Veronica has already opened the door. Behind it, Josie McCoy and Cheryl Blossom stand with completely different demeanors – Josie is wearing her usual attire with a dash of rockstar attitude, while Cheryl wears a pair of oversize sunglasses and a burgundy trench coat.

“Girl,” Josie coos before wrapping Veronica in a tight embrace. “You scared me! I heard the news today and, seriously, I know you couldn’t have done that. Count me for whatever you need.”

“Oh, please,” Cheryl enters the room and looks around the apartment with disdain. “If she needs anything, that’s a good lawyer and neither of us are one.” She grins at everyone once she lifts her sunglasses. “While I do appreciate being invited to this little reunion, I couldn’t let anyone see me hanging out with possible criminals.”

Veronica folds her arms over her chest. “I didn’t invite you or ask for your help, Cheryl.”

“I forgive you.”

“Wow,” Betty lets the word out without thinking it. “You haven’t changed a bit, Cheryl.”

“I know. This kind of glamour goes in my DNA.”

Josie and Veronica roll their eyes.

“I brought you some clothes and a few other things,” Josie says, giving Veronica designer bag that seems as out of place as Cheryl.

“Thank you.”

“By the way, your mom called me, asking about you. I haven’t said a thing.”

Cheryl starts to move around the apartment. “How quaint, Archie. Adorable.” She gives her brightest smile to Veronica. “In my case, the press tried to get in touch with me, but I told them you must’ve left the country. Never crossed my mind that you would hide in the middle of Brooklyn, shacking up with your old flame, though it does sound like a good plot for a tacky telefilm with your story.”

“You’re lucky I love you, Cheryl,” Veronica says. “And that I already have legal problems.”

Betty and the rest of the people in the room chuckle.

Soon after, they agree to come up with a plan. The contacts Betty and Jughead have could provide information, while Josie and Cheryl offer to serve as contacts with Hermione and Hiram, trying to play as double agents. It should be enough to get clues about what’s going on, but no one knows how fast or effective this could be.

“Wait,” Jughead calls suddenly, looking at his phone. “This cannot be.” He sends some link to the others – a live transmission with Hiram as the protagonist. “Hiram Lodge confesses for crimes allegedly committed by his daughter?”

“What?!” Veronica takes her phone and watches as her father is being taken by the police, drag out of his home much like when she was fifteen. It leaves a bitter aftertaste in her mouth. “Why would he confess? That makes no sense. He framed me!”

“Unless he didn’t,” Betty says. “Maybe someone else made it look like your father had betrayed you.”

“Why? And who would be interested in destroying Ronnie? Besides, why pretend like it was her father who framed her?” Archie’s frown deepens with each word.

“Divide and conquer,” Jughead states. “One of the only redeeming qualities of Hiram is his love for his family. Take that, and you take his last bit of power.”

“They wanted us to fight,” Veronica suddenly realizes. “They took advantage of it to hurt us.”

“You are his greatest ally and the only one who can match his power. Without you, he’s ruined.” Betty feels the surge of adrenaline while discovering a story.

“We’re being played!”

Archie’s phone beeps and soon he shows a message to Veronica. “My dad says your mother called him. That if I know where you are, to tell you to keep hidden. Hermione thinks you’re in danger.”

“We need to find out who’s doing this,” Betty decide while typing on her phone.

“Ugh, when will be the time when we get together and there’s no dead or crime involve?” Cheryl asks to no one in particular. But the rest is already working on the investigation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had the hardest time trying to capture Josie's and Cheryl's characters, so please tell me your thoughts.

**Author's Note:**

> Well, this will be short but at last I'm running with an idea. Suggestions? Thoughts?


End file.
